NEW DELHI — Indian police on Sunday arrested a cab driver suspected of raping a female passenger who hailed a ride with him via Uber, the U.S. online taxi service that has launched an aggressive international expansion. "The prime accused in the case has been arrested," Madhur Verma, deputy commissioner with the Delhi police, told Reuters. The suspect was arrested in his home town in Uttar Pradesh where his car was earlier found abandoned. He will be brought before a court in New Delhi on Monday.

The 26-year-old woman told police on Saturday that she had been sexually assaulted and beaten when she got a ride with the Uber driver after a social event late Friday in south Delhi. San Francisco-based Uber said in a statement on Sunday it had suspended the driver following the allegations, in line with company policy, and would assist the police. Uber has faced critical news coverage over its driver screening in the United States, and has apologized for comments by an executive who suggested "digging up dirt" on journalists investigating the firm.